Goosefeather's Curse/Chapter 5
Chapter description :Goosepaw is reciting and pointing to different herbs in an attempt to memorize them, being guided by Pearnose, a friendly StarClan cat and an ancient ThunderClan medicine cat. The medicine cat apprentice mistakes some chickweed for mallow, and the she-cat points this out before telling him to try again. The young cat whines, flopping over on sun-warmed stone and looking up at the sky, claiming it's too hot him to remember anything. He begs Pearnose to tell him a story about LeopardClan instead, but Pearnose tells him that he is not a kit anymore and that he does not deserve to be a medicine cat if he doesn't start learning his herbs. :She offers him another herb and asks him what it is and what it is for. He stares at it for a few moments, mentally debating between comfrey and chervil before deciding on tansy for treating coughs. Pearnose politely tells him that he is wrong, correcting him by saying the herb yarrow to induce vomiting. She praises him for knowing that tansy can be used to treat coughing, but Goosepaw insists that his brain has melted because he can't remember anything. Moonpaw walks into the medicine cat den, asking who he is talking to. Goosepaw insists that he was talking to himself, as it helps him to remember his herbs better, but his sister just calls his methods freaky and points out that Cloudberry doesn't talk to herself. Goosepaw retorts that he isn't his mentor, and soon Stormtail calls out for Moonpaw. As soon as the warrior speaks, it causes Goosepaw to see a vision of badger near Sunningrocks. He encourages his sister to go with Stormtail, but the she-cat is already bounding across the rock, yowling that she is coming. Goosepaw calls that she shouldn't make it obvious how she feels about Stormtail because it'll only make his head bigger. Moonpaw answers that at least the warrior is normal, unlike him. :Once the she-cat leaves, Goosepaw grumpily sweeps all the herbs into a pile. Pearnose scolds him, saying that every leaf is worth saving. The medicine cat apprentice snaps that he'll pick some more, but she teases that he won't be able to if he doesn't know what they are. Pearnose meows that she knows what it feels to be like him, but reminds the tom that loyalty to his Clan is always the most important. Goosepaw complains that it would be easier to feel that way if everyone didn't treat him like a rogue, and perhaps he should accept being friendless. Pearnose snorts, telling the apprentice that all cats are the same beneath their skin, and his Clanmates need to be able to trust him to treat their injuries. She orders him to take his herbs back to camp and then check Nettlebreeze for ticks again. Goosepaw sighs, thinking that at least Moonpaw only has one mentor to boss her around. He walks through the forest, but suddenly stops. :Goosepaw smells the Twolegplace, and his ears fill with a loud buzzing noise. he drops his herbs, beginning to scent other kittypets and Twoleg odors. Goosepaw blinks, finding himself in a different location, standing next to a fight. He plunges forward, trying to find the source of the screeches and yowls. The medicine cat apprentice can tell by scent that ThunderClan cats are getting attacked, but doesn't know who. Goosepaw looks harder, but soon hears a voice in his ear, telling him that these kittypets are a lot stronger than he thinks. Goosepaw jumps as a cat thumps to the ground in front of his paws, but he blinks again, the tom finds himself back on the path in ThunderClan territory. Pelt bristling, he races back to camp and plunges down the ravine. The other apprentices ask if he's being chased by a fox, and that perhaps a rabbit chased him. Stormtail teases that even rabbits can be dangerous if a cat can't handle himself. Goosepaw shakes off their comments, replying that he was just spooked by something. :Cloudberry calls to the apprentice, asking if he's brought the herbs she requested. Goosepaw says no, remembering that he had dropped them in the forest. The tom hears Pineheart ask if Squirrelwhisker's patrol is back yet, and Larksong tells him no. The deputy wonders why they haven't returned, and Goosepaw freezes. The image of a warrior falling before him fills the apprentice's mind, and he thinks that it might be Squirrelwhisker's patrol that is under attack. Goosepaw shakes it off, knowing that Moonpaw wants him to be normal. However, he chokes on his first mouthful of vole, still able to hear the screeches of frightened cats in his ears. Moonpaw asks if he's okay, but the tom shakes his head, rushing to Doestar's den. Cloudberry and Pineheart are already inside, along with the ThunderClan leader. :Goosepaw requests to speak with his mentor and tells her what he saw happening in the Twolegplace and how a patrol was being attacked by kittypets in his vision. The medicine cat apprentice notes that it might have been Squirrelwhisker's patrol. Cloudberry listens to him, and then tells Doestar and Pineheart that they should send some cats to find the missing patrol. The leader asks if StarClan has sent her a sign, and she says no, but implies that Goosepaw received a message. Doestar orders her deputy to take a patrol to check on Squirrelwhisker's patrol, to be safe. Pineheart isn't happy, but quickly goes on his way. Doestar turns to Goosepaw, meowing that she hopes it's the right move to trust him. Cloudberry leads her apprentice out of the den, saying that they have herbs to sort if there are wounds to treat. As they exit, Goosepaw sees the other apprentices wonder why Pineheart's patrol left so quickly. Cloudberry answers that the group went out to check on Squirrelwhisker's patrol, and then turns back to her den. She urges Goosepaw to come with her, asking if he's going to help her with some herbs. :Soon after, Goosepaw hears the thunder of paws as cats enter camp. He rushes outside, catching a glimpse of Pineheart and his patrol standing by a slumped over Squirrelwhisker. Cloudberry presses through the crowd, wanting to treat the wounds of the injured cats. Pineheart reports to Doestar that the patrol was being attacked by kittypets, and were outnumbered. Cats comment that it's lucky that the deputy went looking for Squirrelwhisker's patrol, but their leader says it is more than luck. Doestar calls a Clan meeting, promptly announcing that Goosepaw's vision is what saved several cats today. She asks if Cloudberry will give him his medicine cat name next moon as a token of gratitude, and the medicine cat agrees. The other apprentices think this is unfair, as Goosepaw has only trained for three moons. Stormtail questions why he is so weird, and the younger tom shoots back that he has no idea what his capabilities are, and will be prepared for the future. Goosepaw ignores the glares of his peers, staring into the crowd. He spots Squirrelwhisker lifting his head, nodding gratefully for what he did. Goosepaw feels proud, knowing that he can help keep his Clan safe. Characters Major }} Minor *Moonpaw *Stormtail *Unnamed She-cat *Heronpaw *Poppypaw *Rabbitleap *Cloudberry *Pineheart *Doestar *Larksong *Squirrelwhisker *Stagleap *Rockfall *Flashnose *Fallowsong *Rainfur }} Mentioned }} Notes and references Category:Goosefeather's Curse Category:Chapter subpages Category:Novellas